Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-04-23
THE SUMAC INDUSTRY,
ACCOUNT OF A CORRESPONDENT
FROM THE ISLAND or SICILY.

Methods OF Cultivation IN tho Great
sumac Observation-Disclosures the Crop
OF Leaves-0n tho Threshing Floor.
virGinia's Product.
Sicslian sumac stands first IN al the
markets OF the world. This II due 10 the
great care bestowed upon its gathering
and curing The sumac Is native OF
Africa and Syria For centuries IL has
been grown in Sicily, but It Is not in
dlgenous to that island, where its seed
seldom comes to perfection, and 1t Ii pro-
pagated by sprouts and suckers. my
Africa tho seed which Is perfect, ia used
as condment The sumac belongs to
the genus Rhus-turpentine family.
There are many varieties of this shrub,
some Of which are used in tanning, others
in dyeing and others again in medicip2.
The Rhus Coriaria Qknown here as
common sumac) 10 generally cultivated In
Sicily Palermo and Trapani arc tho
great sumac districts. II il also grown
in the province Of Catiana, but Is ct present
seldom to be met with in the province of
Messina. 1t grows wild in certain sec
tions, where il propagates by suckers.
The cultivated sumac Is very bushy I'm
der favorable conditions of soil and eli
mate 1t grows from nine TO twelve feet
high, but Us 1t is annually topped it does
not attain height greater than three
feet-one years growth Of wood 1t
thrives where the orange tree and cotton
plant have their home. 1t Is elso well
adapted to temperate climate. A warm,
calcareo-sillceous porous soil suits it best.
METHODS or CULTIVATION.
The sumae is worked in December or
January The suckers ore then removed
from the old plants and set out in the
grove. When the leaves sell for / 12
cents per pound suckers bring / cent
apiece. Suckers should be straight, enc
half inches in diameter, fifteen inches high
and wen supplied with nbrous roots. ,
They are set out in parallel rows, running
with the slope Of the land--5, 600 TO tho
acre, end trimmed down to within six
inches Of the ground. They arc culti-
waited by hand, q long, broad grubbiEg hoe
| (zappa) being used. The eaIth Is draw1J
up TO tho plants that the rain may run of.
During the first year-from December TO
| Septcmber-the sumac is worked seven
times; in December, February and April,
deep grubbings; in May the earth ID lew
eled, and three light workings follow be-
tween June and September. During tho
second and subsequent years It Is worked
in December and the earth is leyeled in
March, heavy rains seldom occurring in
Sicily during tho spring The third and
last working is in May. At three years
the sumac Is full grown. It's innumer-
able suckers must then be removed or they
will cnfeeble the plant.
The first year the sumac bears but few
leaves, which mature late, are light, aud
have neither the color nor the aroma Of
those of the adult shrub During August
and September the largo leaves ares
gathered, and the tender ones, on the tips
Of the branches, are left until they are
mature in October In January the plants
ere cut down to o height of six inches.
\ Plants Of two years and over are either
topped and trimmed before their leaves
are gathered Ia considerable saving of
labor, but by topping the shrubs in mid
summer their longevity and productiyI
ness are diminishedl, or stripped Of theta
leaves in May, June, August or Septenis
Der, and pruned in December or january
: following. Men only arc employed for
pruning As cuch man gathers an arm
full OF branches or twigs, no piles them on
the ground in rows, in such n manner al
to expose as little surface rs possible to
leaves, diminishing their market yalae.
Tho rows arc run in the direction OF the
prevailing winds to avoid loss by the
scattering of the leaves. Should the
branches and twigs be exposed to shower
while lying on the ground their leaves
suffer greatly, beth in quality and weight,
! Twenty days after the main harvesting
the suckers are, in turn, stripped Of their
, leaves. Women and children gather the
, leaves
on THE TIIRAs1IING FLOOR.
j After few days Of dry, warm weather
/ the crop is carried TO the thra shing floor,
and the leaves axe whipped off with the
old fashioned fail and balcd. The twigs
are tied in bundles and sold for flrewood.
When the leaves are stripped by hand
I they arc at once carried to the storchousc
and turned over three or four times a day
with pitchforks, to prevent overheating
! and fermentation. These leaves are thus
: cured in four or five days, bGled cnd sent
r to the mills to be ground
! The price of sumac depends upon the
i color Of the leaves, which should be bright
I green when put upon the market. Cured
I leaves from one-year-old bush are Of q
dull green color; those of the September
gathering are blacldsh in hue. Care is
taken not to mix tho different varieties.
9 Four qualities Of sumac are quoted ON The
q market; First quality, whole leaves, free
4 from trash, shipped In bales, second quaH
a ity, thrashed sumac; third quality, leaves
from one-year-old shrubs; fourth quality,
\ leaves of September gathering,
!, The sumac grows spontaneously in va.
, rious sections Of the United States on reof,
!. rough and abandoned lands and hillstles.
1t has never been subjected to cultivation,
4 though there appears no reason why II
! may not be. In Virginia the price Of the
:. raw product, az delivered to the rills
4 varies with different seasons and condi
, tons ell the way from twenty-five cents
to seventy-five cents per 100 pounds
which is very much less than whit Siciliar
sumac brings in its homo market. The
n duty on ground sumac entering the Unitet
Z, States is three-tenths Of one cent ~
q pound San Francisco Chronicle